The Madness of Joshua Mankey
by TwilightSparkle3562
Summary: In this followup to "Kim and Ron's First Date," Kim investigates the circumstances to why Josh did what he did to her and Ron on their first date.
1. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own "Kim Possible," or its characters. They are property of the Walt Disney Company and its affiliates.

"The Madness of Joshua Mankey"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Chapter 1

"Aftermath"

In the days since young Josh Mankey went rogue and nearly killed Middleton's two most famous residents, many students at Middleton High School were asking themselves one particular question:

"Why, Josh? Why? Why did you humiliate Tara and nearly kill Kim and Ron?"

Those were the questions that were difficult for anyone to answer, primarily because Josh had always kept his thoughts to himself. Perhaps he was angry over his breakup with Kim and had only used Tara to get closer to Kim and Ron in the Middleton Park. Whoever knew what was going through his mind was not speaking up and soon, the events of recent were beginning to flash through the minds of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable.

It had been a few days since Ron had returned home from the hospital after he was shot in the arm and he was now resting comfortably with his arm in a sling. On this particular day, Kim had stopped over to bring Ron over his favorite tacos from Buena Nacho.

"How do think your arm is, Ron?" asked Kim, looking over at her boyfriend. "The doctor's said two to three weeks."

"Which unfortunately blows," moaned Ron, not wanting to be like this. "I can't believe that good for nothing Mankey did this to us."

"What really matters is that we are okay," soothed Kim, placing her hand on his cheek. "I'm always going to be here for you."

Ron then began to eat his taco upon hearing those words. It was a much better meal than the ones he had in the hospital and plus, it was from one of his favorite hang outs.

"But, I cannot help but wonder," said Kim, as she walked over to Ron's bedroom window. "I thought that Josh and I broke up on good terms. What made him want to get back with me so quickly and why was he so desperate?"

"Beats me," wondered Ron, taking another bite out of his taco. "He must have realized that you and I have a future together and he must have been jealous, don't you think so, Rufus?"

He turned over to his pet Naked Mole Rat, who nodded wholeheartedly in agreement. However, Kim was not satisfied with what Ron had said.

"Something must have made him snap," said Kim, still looking out at the window. "Josh would never act like that in front of me or anyone else. He must have had demons that were getting the best of him."

Hearing the word "Demons," sent Rufus hiding under Ron's bed and shaking wildly. Fearing she had upset him, Kim walked over and pulled Rufus out of his hiding place, rubbing his back in an effort to calm him down.

"It's okay, Rufus," said Ron, as Kim rubbed on his back. "I didn't mean those other demons we talk about at the Synagogue. These are different."

Feeling reassured, Rufus jumped off Kim's hand and back to his friend's side. But, they were right about something: Josh did have something hiding in the closet and whatever it was had brainwashed him into doing what he did.

"Well, whatever his demons were," said Kim, sitting next to Ron. "I need to find out for myself what had happened."

Ron was shocked by this as he could not believe Kim was going to dig into the private life of the young man who nearly killed them both. Deep in his mind, he wanted to talk Kim out of it, but it was clearly not going to happen. Whenever Kim had her mind on something, she didn't like anyone to talk her out of what she was going to do, but this was different.

"Hello?!" cried Ron, banging his hand against his head. "Are you really going to do this, KP? I would much rather forget everything that has happened and move on."

"I have to find out the truth, Ron," replied Kim, rising to her feet. "There has to be a reason to why Josh did this and I can't rest until I do."

Kim then began to think of how she was going to find out the truth about her ex-boyfriend. She remembered the police saying that Josh had drugs in his system when he was shot dead. The question was what kind of drugs and why Josh made Kim strip to her underwear in front of Ron. Could it be that Josh would never have a sex life, even if he wanted to? Could it be that his parents forbade him from having another girlfriend? Those were the questions that were going through Kim's mind at an alarming rate.

"All right, KP," said Ron, already feeling defeated. "You go do what you want. Perhaps you also want to go to the funeral and blab about what you found to everyone there?"

"That's a line I will not cross, Ron," retorted Kim, who knew her limits. "If I find anything, I will keep it low key from everybody outside of Josh's family, including Tara. Besides, the police don't really have all the answers correctly sometimes."

They both shared a small chuckle and after a while, Kim and Ron hugged each other goodbye and Kim left Ron alone in his room.

"KP, I hope you know what you are doing," thought Ron as he saw Kim drive away from his home. Ron really didn't want Kim to do anything rash in finding out the truth about Josh's actions, but respected her decision to proceed with this anyway.

All that he had to do at that moment was just focus on getting his arm better. He wasn't going to go to the funeral of the man that nearly killed him and his true love, even if Kim threatened to drag him to the church.

Meanwhile, Kim had returned home and was about to start her investigation by contacting Wade Load…


	2. Going Through The Meds

Chapter 2

"Going Through the Meds"

Following her visit with Ron, Kim returned home and immediately went up to her bedroom where her Kimmunicator was. She wanted to get to the truth about Josh's behavior and knew she had to start with her longtime friend and adviser, Wade.

"All right, Wade," she said, turning her device on. "I'm going to need your help on what kind of drugs Josh had in his system the night of our date."

"You sure that you want to go through with this, Kim?" asked Wade from the small screen. "Perhaps it would be best if you just let the Mankey's mourn in private."

"I know that," replied Kim, who was now on her computer. "But, Josh would never act like he did and I need to find out why. Help me look any type of medication such as Prozac, Ativan or even that stuff that turns men on."

Wade felt slightly embarrassed at what Kim had just said, but complied with her request anyway. He was a man after all and knew exactly what Kim was talking about.

"You mean Viagra?" asked Wade. "That stuff that…"

"Yes, that stuff," interrupted Kim, not wanting to go into details. "There had to be a reason for why he wanted to see me in my underwear."

So, Kim waited to see if Wade could find anything on the other line and after a few minutes, he came up with several results as he dug through Josh's medical records.

"All right, Kim," he said, having just found what was prescribed to Josh. "Try to look up Prozac, Celexa, Trazodone and Ativan. While you're at it, try to look at how Viagra works as well."

Kim was disgusted at the Viagra part, but complied with the rest of the medications that Wade had told her to look up. Wade had sent her the link of Josh's medical records, but before she could take a look, she was stopped from looking any further since Josh's records were deemed confidential.

"I've got a problem, Wade," said Kim, exasperated that she couldn't get on the link. "It seems that I can't get in because its confidential. Somehow, you were able to get on much better."

"Perhaps that is because I am a computer wizard," chuckled Wade. "I know how to crack codes just as much as you know how to save the world."

So, Kim waited while Wade looked through Josh's medical records and after a few minutes, Wade had finally revealed his details to Kim.

"All right," he began. "According to Josh's medical records, he was prescribed all the medications that I suggested to you. Apparently, he was suffering from the likes of depression and the Viagra was a sign that perhaps he had a fetish for seeing women in their underwear, which is why he did what he did to you and Tara. As for why he tried to kill Ron, he was apparently depressed over your breakup with him and realized that he could get you back by killing Ron."

"But what was Tara's role in the matter?" asked Kim, still unsure about the full picture. "I mean, she was seeing Josh because she thought that perhaps they would be an item of sorts."

"Perhaps he was only using her to get close to you," replied Wade. "I mean, sometimes men will use unsuspecting women to get closer to their ex's. He somehow managed to manipulate Tara into having a relationship with him because you were friends with her. In addition, the police had found her in the ranger's cabin in her underwear and tied to a chair bound and gagged. By the way, what was she wearing that night?"

Kim was very surprised at Wade's odd question, but complied if she wanted to get to the truth about Josh.

"You mean Tara?" asked Kim, confusingly. "She was wearing a short light blue dress with tan stockings and blue high heels, much like something that I own and plan to wear for graduation next year."

"Then she was merely target practice," replied Wade. "Let me tell you, Kim. If you are just friends with a woman, then one thing you must never do is frequently ask a woman if they are going to wear something they don't want to wear. Josh's fetish had been taking over his mind from the moment you and him broke up, so he wanted Tara to help fulfill his sexual fantasies by having her wear that short blue dress, tan stockings and blue high heels. By the way, did the police say what kind of underwear she had on?"

"They didn't say," replied Kim, who was starting to feel uncomfortable. "But, can we change the subject on that, Wade? It's starting to make me feel slightly uncomfortable."

Wade could see that Kim was indeed uncomfortable after being asked about that and decided move on to a more comfortable part of the investigation for Kim.

"That's all right," said Wade. "I'm pretty sure it was sexy enough for Josh's fantasies. Now, how can we obtain physical proof concerning Josh's meds?"

Kim knew that Wade had a point in regards to the physical proof. She needed to have physical evidence to confirm Josh's actions and knew that she needed to find a way to get to Josh's medications and somehow take a picture of them and confirm what Josh was taking at the time of his rampage. Kim waited while Wade went online to look up Josh's obituary and after a moment, he came across the obituary which was on the website of the Duffy/Tripp Funeral Home, located in the center of Middleton.

"All right, Kim," said Wade, as he got onto the website. "It says here that calling hours are going to be held tomorrow and Thursday morning. So, I think maybe it would be best to get to the meds while the family is at the calling hours."

"How do you propose we do that, Wade?" asked Kim.

"Do you think you might still have that black stealth suit from Falsetto Jones' dog show?" asked Wade and Kim knew exactly what Wade was talking about.

"You mean the one that starts out as a ball gown?" asked Kim. "I think I might have it, but I don't want people to think that I am wearing a ball gown to a funeral."

But before Wade could answer her, he then came across a last bit of detail that he had overlooked.

"Hold on a second, Kim," said Wade as he looked at the last bit of information. "It says here that the Mankey's are holding a formal party for Josh tomorrow night after the calling hours. Maybe you could get a chance to get close into the truth while the party is going on. Besides, your ball gown would be appropriate for something like this."

So, it was settled and Kim decided that this was the way to go and after thanking Wade, she shut her Kimmunicator off and walked over to her closet and opened the door to see her ball gown/stealth suit hanging next to her prom dress.

Kim was now going to get to the truth about Josh, but it wasn't going to be easy…


	3. Getting Dressed

Chapter 3

"Getting Dressed"

On the day of the funeral party, Kim spent the day getting herself ready and making sure that her black stealth suit was working properly for her mission to obtain physical proof about Josh's meds. Once it was confirmed that it was working properly, Kim got into the shower and after putting on a bathrobe over a black corset, black half-slip and a pair of black panties as well as gathering her black stockings and black high heels, she walked back into the bathroom and began to put on her makeup when her Kimmunicator rang.

"Hi, Ron," she said as started to apply her makeup. "I'm just sitting here and I am already putting on my makeup if you are asking me if I am still going to Josh's funeral party."

"Guess you are," replied Ron on the other line. "I just hope you know what you are doing in regards to finding out the truth. There are some things that you should leave alone, KP and this is definitely one of them."

"Look Ron," said Kim as she walked back into her bedroom. "This is the only way I can find out the truth about Josh. Besides, his parents liked me and they suggested that I attend the funeral despite Josh's behavior. Somehow, they could use me for support since I was good to them as well as Josh."

"Well, there is someone who still trusts you on their side of the family," replied Ron bitterly, as Kim slid on her black stockings. "Just because you are going to his funeral, doesn't mean that a leopard can change its spots. Did you remember our pre-school teacher always saying that?"

"I do remember her saying that," said Kim as she removed her bathrobe and began to put on her gown. "But, Josh was always nice and good to me because he knew that l loved him."

Ron was very bitter about this as Kim pulled the gown over her head with the material of her underskirts rustling noisily. Once the gown was over her head, Kim smoothed it out and sat back down on the bed.

"Besides," continued Kim as she pulled her long black gloves from her accessory drawer. "Wade and I did a little research and we found that Josh was supposedly taking three types of drugs as well as Viagra."

"You mean the…?" Ron started to ask, but Kim interrupted.

"I already got the message about that from Wade," she said hastily. "I don't need to hear it twice from you too."

"All right," replied Ron. "I am only telling what it is supposed to do, but I guess you should have known it by now."

After a few moments, Kim slid on her gloves and put on a red pendant around her neck, replacing the one that was ripped off her neck during Josh's rampage. Finally, she completed her dressing by sliding her black high heels on her feet.

"I've been telling you, Ron," pleaded Kim as she stood in front of her mirror and looked herself over one last time. "This is the only way either one of us could find out the truth. Once I find out the truth, then I can rest easily and so can you."

But instead of a response, Kim only got a hang up and a dial tone and threw her Kimmunicator down in disgust. A few moments later, she walked down her stairs as her parents watched her.

"You look pretty, Kim," said Mrs. Possible. "Although, your father and I are kind of against you going to the funeral events surrounding the boy who tried to kill you and Ronald."

"It's not the actual funeral, it's just a funeral party," replied Kim, who threw a purple shawl over her bare shoulders. "The Mankey's just wanted me to be there for support for at least one of the events. It's just common courtesy, you know."

"Is Ronald going?" asked Mr. Possible, stepping into the main hallway. "Considering you need a date for an event like this?"

"No, he is refusing to go," replied Kim. "And I don't blame him for wanting to go. He never really liked Josh to begin with and I know that. I also know that Tara is probably not going to go either."

"Consider the horror Josh put her through," retorted Mr. Possible.

"That poor girl," added Mrs. Possible, sighing heavily. "Imagine being tied up in a ranger's cabin wearing only your underwear and nothing else. It's a good thing he didn't do that to you, Kimmie."

But, Kim didn't respond to her mother's statement and only grabbed her black purse and slung it over her shoulder in silence.

"I think you should also tell Ronald the next time you see him," said Mr. Possible. "I still need to put him in a black hole for keeping you out late."

"James!" cried Mrs. Possible, giving him a cold stare. "Ronald was shot in the shoulder and you are worried about putting him in a black hole?! Honestly, don't you have any respect for what Ronald is going through right now?!"

Mr. Possible merely just bit his lip at that point and Kim hugged her mother and father goodbye and walked down to her car. She could hardly believe what her father had said about Ron being put in a black hole. As far as Ron was concerned, Kim knew that he needed to heal the wounds he sustained that night in the park.

"All right, Wade," said Kim as she drove to the Mankey residence. "Have you found out when the best time to seek out the drugs is?"

"I don't know how that will work, Kim," replied Wade. "We may have to accept the possibility of the drugs being removed by the police. However, we should still focus on the task at hand and that is finding out what kind of drugs Josh was using."

Soon, Kim arrived at the Mankey residence and her mission to uncover the truth would soon begin…


	4. Finding Out the Truth

Chapter 4

"Finding Out the Truth"

When Kim arrived at the Funeral Party, it was held at the Mankey residence which was a large mansion located on the outskirts of Middleton. The Mankey's were a wealthy family who were greatly respected in the community and Josh's father served on the school committee of the Middleton school department. Getting out of her car, Kim walked into the mansion and was greeted by Josh's parents, Tom and Kate.

"Oh, Kim," cried Mrs. Mankey, hugging her tightly. "We are so sorry for what Josh did to you."

"It's all right," replied Kim, who then hugged Mr. Mankey. "To be honest, I am starting to forgive him for what he tried to do to me. I can't stay mad at him forever."

"We appreciate your understanding, Kim," said Mr. Mankey. "Josh always said great things about you and why he would do this to someone like you is a complete mystery to us."

Kim knew that Josh's parents were just as upset about all of this as she was. After all, she couldn't understand to why Josh would do this. But, she did remember what Wade had told her to look at in regards to his medication and what he was taking.

Kim was then led into the main hall and she could see that many of Middleton's elite was present as well as many of her friends and classmates including Bonnie Rockwaller and the rest of her fellow cheerleaders. She wanted to join them, but Kim didn't want to be bombarded or teased by her rival.

But, as the night wore on, Kim was greeted by many of her fellow peers and admirers and the only question's she was bombarded with was why Ron wasn't there. Kim responded by saying that Ron and Josh were never on good terms and that he would never attend a funeral for someone who was his greatest enemy.

It was later than usual before Kim managed to start her independent investigation. Once she was alone from any company, Kim walked up to the main staircase and quietly climbed up to the second floor, trying to not make much noise with the sounds of her high heels.

"Good," she thought to herself. "As long as everyone is mingling, I can start finding out the truth."

Kim then pressed a button on her red pendant and the black evening gown she was wearing quickly transformed into the black stealth suit from the Falsetto Jones incident.

"All right, Wade," she whispered into the Kimmunicator, with Wade on the other line. "I'm already in stealth suit mode. Can you help me find Josh's room?"

"It's down in the west wing," replied Wade, who was also in a stealth suit. "Apparently, the Mankey's had locked it after Josh was killed, which explained to why the police believed Josh was on drugs."

"I'm pretty sure I have a lock breaker or something in here," said Kim, trying to find something to open the door. She finally found a lock breaker within her stealth suit and put the key inside Josh's bedroom door. Once the jimmying was over, Kim swung open the door and finally went inside.

"All right, I'm in," Kim said to Wade as she walked around the bedroom of her ex. "It may be dark, but Josh must have trashed the bedroom before he left with Tara."

"You're telling me," remarked Wade. "But, what you need to look for is a nightstand that is right next to Josh's bed. That's where most of us keep our pills at night."

Kim then walked over and pulled open the drawers and was shocked by what she saw in front of her. Inside was about a dozen pill boxes and bottles and not all of them were prescribed to Josh. Some were prescribed to his father and some were prescribed to his mother.

"Wade, I can't believe this," she gasped. "Some of these weren't even prescribed to Josh to begin with. They were prescribed to his parents."

"Something must be fishy with this family, Kim," remarked Wade as Kim took out a camera and began to take pictures. "I've heard about families in turmoil, but this is ridiculous."

"I know," replied Kim as she pulled out another pill box. "I'm looking at these pill boxes and a majority of them are anti-depressants and some of these are not just the ones you told me to look for."

"What do you mean?" asked Wade, surprisingly.

"I mean that Josh was also taking Zoloft," continued Kim, looking at the prescribed bottle of Zoloft. "You know, the little ball that was always shown to be depressed?"

Wade didn't respond, but knew what Kim was talking about. Next, Kim saw what appeared to be a small refrigerator and crawled over, bending down and opening it and what she saw shocked her even more than the pill boxes.

"Wade," she whispered in shock. "Josh was taking these pills with alcohol, something that you are never supposed to do. I guess all those drinking prevention assemblies were not enough for him."

Kim rummaged through the refrigerator and with every bottle of alcohol she found, the more shocked she had become. Kim could not believe that Josh would hide all these secrets from her and a small tear trickled down her face. Now it became clear to her that Josh was not only drugged, but also drunk that night in the park. However, she still had one question that needed to be answered.

"Wade, do you think that Josh could have had alcohol in his car?" she asked.

"It's most likely that he might have," replied Wade. "You did say that he seemed normal at the theater, didn't you?"

"I did," replied Kim, thinking back to her conversation at the President's club. "He must have drugged and drank himself in between leaving the Fair and when he confronted us in the park."

Kim then slammed the refrigerator door and with her nearly losing her composure, Kim took the camera that took all of the photos of Josh's drugs and alcohol and was just about to leave when a figure stood in the doorway to Josh's bedroom.

"You found what drove my son crazy?" said the voice and Kim wasn't sure, but thought that the voice belonged to Josh's father…


	5. Hiding Secrets

Chapter 5

"Hiding Secrets"

So, it appeared to Kim that she was not going to be walking out with the photos she had taken of Josh's stash of drugs and alcohol. Just as she was able to leave Josh's room, she saw a tall figure and upon seeing that it was Josh's father, she quickly turned her stealth suit back into an evening gown and that allowed Josh's father to step inside his late son's room.

"Mr. Mankey," Kim said nervously. "I was only, if you would understand…"

But, Mr. Mankey interrupted her, for he knew exactly to what Kim was doing at the moment.

"I understand," he said, taking off his bow tie. "I've been trying to find out myself along with my wife for God knows how long. The police had confirmed to us that our son was using drugs and alcohol, but I refused to believe it."

He sat down on his son's bed and lowered his head down in sadness. Kim soon joined him and placed her gloved hand on his. It was becoming very clear to Kim that Josh's parents were also kept from the truth by the police.

"I asked them to do another autopsy to make sure," he continued. "But they wouldn't listen to me. They told me it was none of my business and that it was a police matter."

"Mr. Mankey," said Kim, clutching his hand. "When I saw Josh at the theater, he seemed perfectly normal, almost like his old self. It wasn't until after he and Tara left the festival and attacked me and Ron in the park, did I see a change in him. I guess he took the drugs and alcohol in between then, I suppose."

Mr. Mankey could not believe what he was hearing and he didn't whether to be sad, shocked or even angry at what his son had done to him. As far as he and his wife were concerned, Josh had been suffering from depression, but tried to keep it in secrecy.

"I can't believe this, Kim!" he cried, rising to his feet. "I told him that if he was ever feeling sad about something, then he should have come to me and my wife. He always seemed very depressed and when we would ask him what was bothering him, he would not say anything."

Mr. Mankey then took his fist and punched a large hole in the wall causing Kim to jump slightly at the sound of the loud bang. Blood began to form in his fingers as Mr. Mankey pulled his fist back.

"And he said that he would just go upstairs and either watch television or play his guitar," continued Mr. Mankey. "We wouldn't even hear a word out of him for the remainder of the night unless if he was going out with his new girlfriend, Tara."

But, just as Mr. Mankey continued to talk, Kim walked over to Josh's bedroom closet and swung the door open and another shock came to Kim when she saw what appeared to be videotapes with disgusting imagery on the cover of them.

"What is it?" cried Mr. Mankey as he dashed over to Kim and when he saw what Kim had found, he screamed loudly and batted down Josh's bedroom lamp from his nightstand.

"My son, my Joshua Wendell Mankey, watching pornography!" he snapped in fury. "How could he do this to me? This is not the son I raised for 17 years, Kim! This is not the boyfriend who loved you for who you were."

Kim could only agree with Mr. Mankey on the matter and with each secret about Josh that she found, the more shocked she had become. In a sense, Kim was in love and had a crush on a boy who was nothing more than a drunken, drug dependent, perverted weasel that hid behind his music and his school wide fame. Feeling betrayed herself, Kim threw the tape down and stamped it with her high heels, crushing it to pieces.

"I can see that," said Kim, tears forming in her eyes. "I can see why Ron hated Josh so much. I can see why he acted the way he did, I can see why he made me strip to my underwear, I can see why he wanted to kill me. "

Kim then fell down to her knees and broke down sobbing as she bended down in a praying formation. Mr. Mankey then bent down to Kim's level and the red haired heroine buried herself in Mr. Mankey's chest.

Meanwhile, the sounds of what was going on were being heard downstairs and everyone was gathered around the main stairwell to listen in on what's happening.

"Something must be wrong," said a party guest. "All I hear is screaming and crying."

"Yes," said another guest to Mrs. Mankey. "It certainly sounds like your husband and someone who was snooping around in there."

But, Mrs. Mankey couldn't respond to the guest and instead silently climbed up the steps to Josh's bedroom and upon seeing what was going on, she was shocked to discover what was being displayed before her very eyes.

"Kathleen," Mr. Mankey said as he continued to hug a sobbing Kim. "Look at what your son was trying to hide from us all this time."

Mrs. Mankey couldn't believe as she saw the assortment of drugs and alcohol as well as the pornography tapes that were scattered all over the floor.

"I can't believe this, Thomas!" she gasped at the bedroom of horrors she was standing in. "How did we let this get out of hand?"

"We let it get out of hand because our son refused to say anything," replied Mr. Mankey as Kim was now starting to calm down. "And look what he has done to this poor girl, Kate."

Mrs. Mankey then left for a moment and came back with a box of tissues for Kim to dry her eyes and blow her nose.

Despite feeling disgusted over her son's secrets, Mrs. Mankey along with her husband knew that Kim needed to be taken care of at that moment, knowing that she was as much as victim as everyone else was.


	6. The Funeral

Chapter 6

"The Funeral"

Kim could hardly sleep when she came home from the Mankey mansion the previous night. Having discovered the hoard of drugs and alcohol and disturbing videotapes in Josh's bedroom, Kim was now beginning to understand why Josh was so wasted that night. When the sun would rise the next morning, it would be the start of the funeral which would be held at St. Mary's, the main Catholic Church in Middleton.

"Josh, why did you do this to me?" Kim thought as she slept. "You could have done better with your problems and your hormone controls. We could have talked about it and I still love you as a friend, even though we have separated as boyfriend and girlfriend. Just because I am dating Ron, doesn't mean that we would still be able to see each other."

Kim's mind continued to race as she got up that morning. Going to her closet, she had pulled out her navy blue dress from that fateful night and hung it on her closet door as she went into the bathroom to get ready. Once she was done with her makeup, Kim threw the dress on and slid on her stockings and black sandals and made her way downstairs.

While it was true that it was the first time Kim wore her dress since Josh's rampage, it also reminded her of her date with Josh, when he was happy and being a good boyfriend to her, despite the fact she nearly disappeared courtesy of Drakken and Shego. Besides, it was the only semi-formal dress she had owned in her closet.

Soon, Kim was at the funeral home as the mourners were gathered in the meeting room with the closed casket present for all to see. Many of the guests in attendance were the same people from the party the night before and many remembered Kim who was snooping around in Josh's bedroom.

"I can't believe Josh was a drug addict," remarked one guest as Kim walked towards the casket. "Imagine, a young talented boy like that, tampering around with forbidden pleasures that are inhumane and repulsive."

Kim ignored the sniveling guest and knelt down at the casket and prayed before it. She was silent for a moment and then Kim whispered to it.

"Josh," she whispered. "If you can hear me from inside that casket, I want you to know that despite everything you have done to me and everyone who loved you, I forgive you for what you did to me and Ron. I know you were not yourself that night, but whatever suffering you have been containing is gone now and there are plenty of angels who would be willing to listen to your music."

Then Kim began to think back to the earlier times that she had with Josh before he went drug and alcohol dependent.

"I'll never forget all the times we had together from our first school dance to the Halloween party where I sprouted armor all the way to the date where I nearly disappeared," Kim continued. "You are and always will be a good friend to me and I will never forget that for as long as I live. Thank you for everything you have done for me."

Kim then kissed the casket and got up from it as the funeral director announced that it was time to leave for the church. Kim joined the long funeral processional for the short drive to the church and as they drove, Kim could see that people were lining up the streets for this moment. It seemed that Josh had gained an enormous amount of fans during his life and they were all here for the final journey that he was taking.

"O, God whose mercies cannot be numbered," began the priest as he read from the bible. "Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant, Joshua. Bring him into heavenly kingdom and offer him a seat at the supper of the everlasting feast."

Then, he went on to say the 23rd Psalm as everyone who wasn't crying listened in:

_The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want._

_He makes me lie down in green pastures._

_He leads me beside still waters._

_He restores my soul._

_He leads me in paths of righteousness_

_for his name's sake._

_Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,_

_I will fear no evil,_

_for you are with me;_

_your rod and your staff,_

_they comfort me._

_You prepare a table before me_

_in the presence of my enemies;_

_you anoint my head with oil;_

_my cup overflows._

_Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me_

_all the days of my life,_

_and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord_

_forever._

For the rest of the funeral, mournful music was heard from song's such as _Ave Maria_, _Here I am, Lord_ and _On Eagle's wings_. Josh's father delivered the eulogy and remarks were given by his mother as Kim listened in with each word that was spoken.

Once the funeral was over, the procession then left the church and made it's way over to the cemetery where Josh was to be buried next to his grandmother and his grandfather. Kim knew that this was goodbye and once everyone had left, Kim walked over and placed her hand on the casket.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye Josh," she whispered. "I hope the next time we meet in heaven, you will be your old self again free of the torment you had been enduring for some time. Say hi to all my extended family as well as all my pets when you get a chance. Rest in Peace, old friend and I love you."

With that, Kim took a rose that had been distributed by the funeral staff and placed it on the center of the casket as she took one last at the casket and quietly left it to be buried.

It was all over for Josh. His nightmare was over and whatever secrets that he had been hiding from everyone were now made public for all to understand. He could now rest in peace and everyone could learn from his mistakes so that whatever happened to him would not happen to anyone else.


	7. Ron Joins The Mourning

Chapter 7

"Ron Joins the Mourning"

While Kim was at the funeral paying her final respects to her ex-boyfriend and attacker, Ron was back at his house and after thinking things through, Ron decided to attend the funeral reception and support Kim in the mourning process. Since his black tuxedo was destroyed forever in the attack by Josh, Ron threw on a blue short sleeved shirt and a pair of khakis with a red tie around his neck. Because of his injured shoulder, he had to have his mother help him dress much to his embarrassment.

"Tell the Mankey's that we are sorry for their loss," said Mrs. Stoppable as she drove her son to the funeral reception. "I love you, Ronald."

Ron kissed his mother goodbye and watched her leave before stepping into the funeral reception, which was held at a country club not far from the Mankey residence. When he entered, many of the guests fell silent upon seeing Ron enter. For they all knew of the bad blood that ran between him and Josh over Kim's affections.

"I know I never liked Josh," thought Ron as he walked past the suspicious crowds of guests. "But, I only came to support Kim even though she dated him. Can't anyone just cut me a little slack?"

Soon, he met up with Kim in one of the main halls where she was talking with some of her friends including Monique, who was also not friends with Josh personally, but came to support Kim.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" wondered Kim as she walked over to her boyfriend. "I thought you were going to stay home."

"I was, KP," he replied, looking at his girlfriend. "But, I thought you might need support, so I decided to come anyway."

"Well, that's very chivalrous of you," remarked Monique. "No one would ever do that for me."

Ron chose to ignore the remark that Monique had made and led Kim out onto the decks but not before stopping at the bar to pick up two drinks for them. Kim could see that Ron was starting to grow uncomfortable with the injured shoulder he now had.

"How is the arm?" she asked as they looked out on the large golf course. "You should be at home resting it."

"I know, I know, KP," chuckled Ron, sheepishly. "But, I thought that you might need support given that you and Mankey dated, even though he and I were never on good terms to begin with."

At that point, Kim lowered herself on the railing of the deck and dropped her head down on her arms. Until this point, she knew that Ron did not know about what she had discovered the night before and decided to come clean.

"Uh, Kim, is something bothering you?" he asked, but Kim was silent for a minute and after the minute was up, she turned towards Ron.

"Actually, Ron," she replied, sheepishly. "There is something that is bothering you. I discovered something at the Mankey residence that is still haunting me."

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"Ron, I…" Kim began, but she was hesitant with what she had to say next about her discovery in Josh's bedroom. "I found out that Josh wasn't himself the night he attacked us at the park."

Ron was shocked at this now knowing that he somewhat understood that something was indeed up with Josh that night. Kim then walked away from him for a moment and seemed that she was about to lose herself again, but quickly rebounded.

"What do you mean, Kim?" he asked.

"Last night at the funeral party," she explained. "I decided to investigate what made Josh do what he did according to the police. I went in and found that his bedroom was stocked with drugs and alcohol. Josh was both drunk and drugged when he attacked us."

Ron felt shocked at this revelation, but he wasn't surprised at all. He knew that Josh was somewhat of a shady character and his suspicions were true to the fact.

"I should have known he would do this to us," he replied, bitterly. "That guy would do anything to get you back, even if it meant killing us."

"There was something else I found," said Kim, realizing she had forgotten to tell Ron about something else that was important.

"What else was he hiding?" asked Ron. "Don't tell me he was hiding sex tapes or something?"

"Exactly," replied Kim, causing Ron to gasp and nearly scream in shock. "I found that his bedroom closet was ransacked with pornography tapes which explained why he wanted to make me strip with a gun to my head."

"What a pervert," remarked Ron, disgustingly. "I can't believe he would make himself do that to you, KP."

But, Kim didn't respond and instead chose to take a sip of her drink.

"But, what if he was trying to call out for help or something, Ron?" she wondered. "Almost like if he wanted to get close to me about something, something that he was trying to tell me."

But, before Ron had a chance to answer, a loud sob was heard and Ron and Kim joined some guests in finding out what was going on. As it turned out, several police officers were at the country club talking with Mr. and Mrs. Mankey. It appeared that they had some news to share with the Mankeys and it wasn't good at all.

"What's going on?" asked Kim and Mr. Mankey turned to face his son's ex-girlfriend with his wife sobbing in his arms. "What did they say?"

Mr. Mankey was silent for a moment and thought it was against his better judgment to say what the police had told him, but he had no other choice.

"Kim," he replied quietly. "They just finished the autopsy data that they had done on Josh and they discovered that our son was suffering from a mental illness right under our noses."

"What kind of mental illness?" Kim asked and Mr. Mankey took an enormous gulp and with a deep breath, revealed what kind Josh was suffering from.

"Schizophrenia," he said quietly and the entire country club fell silent upon hearing those words.

Now, the whole truth was out about Joshua Wendell Mankey…


	8. One Last Goodbye

Chapter 8

"One Last Goodbye"

When Kim and Ron left the funeral reception after the revelation that Josh was suffering from Schizophrenia, they both could not believe to what Josh was going through at the time of his death. It was very clear that Josh wasn't who he was and both Kim and Ron were mad at themselves for not seeing it.

"How could I not believe that he was suffering from that?" Kim asked herself as they drove towards Ron's home. "I wish now that I could have been there for him."

"There was nothing you can do, KP," replied Ron as he turned towards his girlfriend. "He was completely stoned and was incapable of listening."

Kim was beginning to think for a moment of what Ron had just said to her and knew that she needed to do something important. So, she diverted the car from its planned route to the Stoppable residence and began to make her way back to the cemetery.

"Uh, KP," remarked Ron, upon realizing they were going a different route. "Where are you taking us?"

"I need to do something at the cemetery," she replied hastily. After a few minutes, Kim was back at the cemetery and back at Josh's grave, where his casket was already in the ground and the spot where it once was now was covered with flowers and stuffed toys. Kim got out of the car and although he didn't want to, Ron got out of the car and joined his girlfriend at the gravesite.

"Kim, didn't you already pay your respects?" asked Ron, but she didn't respond and only just stood at the gravesite staring down at the headstone. "Uh, earth to KP?"

"How could I have not seen the pain you were suffering?" she thought to herself, her face turning from sad to angry. "Why didn't you tell me that something was wrong? You could have come to me and we would have worked this out together. Instead, here you are, sentenced to be in that casket, buried in the Earth forever. I know that if you can hear me now, I hope you have a lot to think about now that you are in heaven. Let me know when you decide to say you're sorry."

Kim then began to walk away from the grave with Ron close behind and was just about to get in the car, when a voice, ghostly and thin began to call out to Kim.

"_Kim? Kim, is that you?"_ cried the voice and Kim turned to see that the voice that was calling out to her was Josh's ghost, rising out of the grave.

"Have you come to apologize for what you did to us?" replied Kim bitterly. "If you had mental issues, we could have worked things through and instead here you are, stuck in a grave forever."

"_I know what I did that night in the park was wrong,"_ said Josh's ghost, trying to defend himself. _"It was wrong of me of how I acted in front of you and Ron as well as Tara. I just couldn't control myself with the pain and suffering I was storing up inside of me."_

"Of course, you couldn't," replied Kim, sarcastically. "Why couldn't you just accept the fact that we broke up? We would still be friends, but not on the level that were once on together. Tara was perfect for you and instead you acted like a wild animal to her and me."

"Worse still," added Ron, feeling bitterly about seeing the ghost of his archenemy. "You made Kim strip to her underwear to satisfy your perverse desires. What sick twisted person would do such a thing?"

"_Someone who couldn't keep his private matters and desires hidden,"_ replied Josh's ghost, remorsefully. _"I failed to do that, Kim and I should have known better. I can't erase what I did to you, Ron and Tara, but I hope you can find it in all of your hearts to forgive me for what I have done to you."_

Kim was silent for a moment, but then began to think back of the good times she had with Josh before they broke up. She was also wearing the same sleeveless blue dress from their date a while back and it reminded her of that night despite the fact that she nearly disappeared courtesy of Drakken and Shego. Kim couldn't stay angry at Josh forever and she knew that. However, it was very difficult for her to forgive him for his actions right then and there. It was going to take time and all three of them knew it.

"Josh," she sighed, scratching her neck. "I want to forgive you and I will, but not right now. I have to get my mind back in order after all that has happened and when I do get my mind back in order, then I will forgive you."

Josh's ghost took this into consideration and was glad to hear that he would be forgiven eventually for all his misdeeds.

"_I'm glad you will forgive me for what I have done," _replied the ghost. _"I want you to remember Kim that I am free from whatever was plaguing my mind and I am now at peace. But, remember as well, that I love you as a friend forever."_

Kim grew emotional upon hearing this and as the ghost disappeared, she fell to her knees and bent down sobbing as Ron got down to her level and gave her a big hug.

Even though that she loved Ron and would spend the rest of her life with him, she still held a soft spot for Josh as he was the one who had given her the first chance of being in a relationship, the first chance of going on a date and the first chance of experiencing what love is really like.

And as Josh's ghost disappeared before them, Kim realized at that moment that the pain of breaking up was tough on both her and Josh, but in the end, it was all worth it for them as it led to a permanent relationship with her and Ron, a relationship that will now last forever.


End file.
